Combination lock and switch.



B. L. BECKNER.

COMBINATION LOCK AND SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-23,1916.

1,229,21 l Patented June 12, 19W.

hurrah snares harsher orries.

IBENIHE L. BECKNER, OF ANDERSGEQ', INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO-HOWARD WITT AND ONE-THIRD TO FRAHK H. SCHLATER, BOTH 0E ANDERSON, INDIANA.

comnma'rron LOCK Ann SWITCH.

Patented Jane 12 191i;

Applicationfiled September 23, 1916. Se'iial No. 121,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, BENNIE L. Brennan, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of .lndiana, iave invented certain new ings, and to the letters and figures oi refer once marked thereon, which term a part oi".

this specification. I

My invention relates to a comoined lock arid switch adapted for use on automobiles, motorcycles, motor-boats, and other transportationmeans and designed to place the operation of the switch which opens or closes a circuit under the control only. of the person familiar with the combination of the particular permutation lock applied to the switch and thus guard against the unauthorized use of the mechanism to which the combined lock and switch is applied. The object of the invention is to provide a lock and switch of the character mentioned which will embody simplicity and etiiciency without liability of easily getting out of working order, which may be made within reasonable limits as to cost'oi construction, and may be readily operated without skilled knowledge on the part of the initiate or instructed. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter bemade to appear the invention consists in the features hereinafter particu larly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming, a part hereof, and in Whiche I Figure 1. is a front elevation or face view of the device; 7

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same;

Fig. 3 a cross section. on the line El3 of.

Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing one position of the switch;

Fig. 4 a cross section on the line 4-4 of- Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the 'arrows, showing another position of the switch Fig. 5 a perspective of the switch permutationplate; a

Fig. 6 a perspective of the switch bar or arm.

In the drawing the numeral'l designatl a box or shell preferably fornied of somi suitable insulating material upon which is mounted the shell or jacket 2 formed of suitable material preferably aluminum, and havinfl' a face-plate 3 upon which is inscribe divisions, in the present instance, represented by the numerals ranging from zero (0) to or otherwise. .vVitliin the shell or jacket is a dial-plate 4, rotatable thereim-and inscribed on its face with di- VlSlOIlS represented by numerals varying from zero to '55, or otherwise, corresponding to the like divisions on the face of the inclosing jacket or shell. This rotatable dial is mounted upon a bushing or sleeve 5, preferably made or some suitable insulating material. and held thereto by friction or otherwise so as to movethera a bar or arm 11 which for convenience will I be designated. a switch arm and is threaded onto the threaded portion of the spindle, the reduced end of the synndlebemgstepped 1n the base of the box or casing 1 The. switch arm carries contact plates orinen'ibcrs 12, and fits within the slot of the bushing and may be moved back and forth by turning the spindle and will be guided by the prongs of the bushing so long as the bushing is stationary, and by turning the 1V bushing in connection with the dial plate the switch arm may be rotated for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The base of the box 1 is provided with the posts 13 of the circuit electric conductors 14: and 14,

the contact ends of which posts fit within socketslfi of the box base. Overlying the inner face of the base of the box is a plate '16, which for convenience, and because its tween the switch arm and terminals of the electric conductors, will be designated a permutation plate. This plate is mount ed, preferably loosely, upon the reduced end of the spindle 7, so as to be movable or rotatable, and is formed with openings 17, which may be in the form of slots, that may be brought into register with the sockets 15 so as to permit passage of the members 12 of the switch bar to make contact with the terminal posts of the electric conductors when the circuit is to he closed. This permutation plate is also provided with a stud or pin 18 with which the switch arm or bar may come in contact when moved or turned so as to shift or change the positionof the permutation plate to bring .its openings into register with the terminal sockets to enable the switch arm or bar to make contact with the terminal posts to close the circuit, and also to bring said openings out of register with the sockets so as to prevent contact and. closing of the circuit at other times. The switch arm o1- bar and. the stud or pin ot the permutation plate are so positioned in relation to each-other that the movement of the switch arm to-a certain or predetcrmined extent or degree in one direction is necessarv to bring the openings of the permutation plate into register with the terminal post sockets, and then its llltfi'fllntflll) to another certain ,or predetermined extent or degree is necessary tobring the contact members of the switch .arm into register with the openings of the plate and the socket terminals so that then the'members of the switch arm may be moved into contact with the. conductor terminals so as to close the circuit. In other words there is etl'ected a certain combination made up of a certain relation of the pin of the permutation plate to the'switch bar and the switch bar to the openings in the plate and of the movement of the switch bar to a certain or predeter mined extent in certain directions which must be. observed and followed in order to make contact to establish or close the operating circuit and unless the movements are followed to meet the existing conditions no circuit can be, established or closed, and thus a combination lock for the switch] controlling the making of the circuit is provided.

This combination may be different for each switch put out, and by changing the position of the stud or pin of the. permutation plate another combinaltion is formed, and thus as many diti'erent combinations may be formed as changes are made in the position of the pin. The combination, selected for illustration, in the drawing is zero (0) and 21; the position of the pin of the permutas tion plate stands in relationto the ,contaot openings in the plate as shown, and the switch arm stands parallel to or coincident with the markings 030 on the rotatable dial. l nder such combination if it be desired to unlock the switch and operate it for closing circuit, the rotatable dial; is turned from left to righhwvliatever be the position of the switch arm and zero (0) on such dial, until zero. (0) on the dial is brought coincident with zero (0) on the stationary dial, during which rotation one of the contact members on the switch arm will be brought into ep 'fpgement with, or pick up, the stud or pm of the permutation plate wherever tor the time being it may be in the path of travel of the switch arm; then the dial is continued in its rotation to the right from zero (0) on the stationary dial until zero of the rotatable dial coincides with the numeral designation ")1 on the stationary dial, whereupon the parts will stand in the posi- -tion illustrated in Fig. -l with the contact openings in the permutation plate registering with the terminal post sockets in the base of the switch box; then the rotatable dial is turncd'to the left until zero of such dial coincides again with the zero designation on the stationary dial. thus bringing the, switch arm parallel to or coincident with the designations 0-430 on the stationary dial and the contact members 12 in register with the openings or slots in the permutation plate and the terminal post sockets; then the threaded spindle T is turned to the left so as to feed forward the switch arm between the prongs of the dial bushing and bringvits contact members into contact with the terminal posts of the conductor wires and close the circuit. When it is desired to break the circuit and lock the switch, the threaded spindle is turned to the right as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 to withdraw the switch arm until its contactmemhers are free from the permutation plate." and then the rotatable dial is given a throa or turn, say to the right, so as to move the switch arm in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 2 until its cont-act members are out of register with the openings in. the permutation plate, and its throw may his to such an extent as to strike the pin of jthe permutation plate and shift the plate to move its openings from register with the terminal post sockets. The switch is then in practically a locked condition so thatiit cannot be operated to close circuit except by a person knowing the particular combination provided for the particular switch and the manner of operating the parts to setthe combination for closing the circuit. The switch formednis described is made up of comparatively few parts simple to operate by one made aware of the combination and proper manipulation of the parts, and atfords a positive protection against operation of the switch to. close the circuit for operation ofthe machine or other object to which the switch is applied, by the uninformed and unauthorized individual.

I have illustrated and described the invention in its simplest form and in its preferred construction of parts but changes can be made to suit the particular application of the device desired and essential features of the invention retained.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits what I claim is 1. A combination lock and switch comprising electricalterminal contacts, a permutation plate for covering the terminal contacts having openings to register with said contacts, and provided with an abutment stud, a switch bar slidable to make contact with the terminal contacts and ro-' tatable in the'path of the abutment stud of the permutation plate, means for rotating the switch bar to engage, the permutation plate stud to bring the openings of the plate into register with the terminal contacts, means for sliding the switch bar to make contact with the terminal contacts, and designating means for indicating predetermined movements of the permutation plate and switch bar for adjustment of the parts to operative positions.

1. A combination lock and switch comprising electrical terminal contacts, a permutation plate for covering the terminal tacts and to make connection with the terminal contacts in a predetermined position, and means for operating the switch bar. a

4. A combination lock and switch comprising electrical terminal contacts, a permutation plate for covering the terminal contacts formed with openings for exposing said contacts and provided with an abutment stud, a switch bar for engagement with the stud of the permutation plate for moving the plate to uncover the terminal contacts and for making connection with said terminals, a rotatable dial operatively connected with the switch bar to rotate the bar, means for moving the switch bar into and out of connection with the terminal contacts,

and means for determining predetermined movements of the permutation plate and switch bar for bringing the parts into position for unlocking the switch and closing a circuit through the terminal contacts.

5. A combination lock and switch comprising electrical terminal contacts, a permutation plate for covering the terminal contacts formed with openings for exposing saidcontacts and provided with an abutment stud, a switch bar for engagement with the stud of the permutation plate for moving the plate to uncover the terminal contacts and for making connection with said termicontacts, a switch bar for moving the port) nals, a rotatable dial operatively connected mutation plate to uncover the terminal contacts and make contact with the terminal contacts, and means for operating the switch bar to effect movement of the permutation 'p'lateuand makeponnection with the'terminal contacts.

3. A combination lock and switch' comprising electrlcal term nal contacts, a permutation plate fors'egvering the terminalcontacts and providedwith an abutment stud, a swi ch bar provided with members with the switch bar to rotate the bar, and a spindle formedwith a threaded portion upon which the switch bar is mounted for moving the bar into and out of connection with the terminal contacts.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. v.

, 1 BENNIE L. BECKNER. -Witnesses:

BERNARD B. McGANnLEss, JACK BRUNT. 

